Od Studios -- Dead Space
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Dead Space -- by sector24, 2010-02-11 |
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Developer: EA Redwood Shores
ESRB Rating: Mature
Genre: 3rd Person Shooter, Survival Horror
Platform: PC, PS3, Xbox 360
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Release Date: 10/14/2008
What is Dead Space?
Dead Space is a survival horror 3rd person shooter set in a science fiction universe. You are a member of a repair crew sent to investigate a deep space mining operation consisting of a giant planetoid and a mining ship called the USG Ishimura. Everything that could possibly go wrong does, and you have to fix the ship while trying to survive a decidedly hostile environment.
What does this game do well?
Survival horror games rely on two basic principles to be successful. First, is it scary? Second, is it fun? I can't tell you if Dead Space is "scary". I've never been scared by anything in a video game. However, I can tell you that it has lots of "gotcha" moments, and perhaps even a few "pee your pants" scares. It also has some really great psychological terrors, and it mixes and matches them in just the right way. You're not going to get ambushed by some horror around every corner; they're spaced out just well enough that you start to let your guard down before the next ambush creeps you the hell out.
What I feel the game is better at is setting the mood. There's blood smears everywhere. Graffiti of the dying and the dead covers the walls. Machinery feels derelict or downright destroyed. The lighting is just right...or wrong depending on your perspective. The atmosphere is disturbing but more importantly immersive. It's a game you can really get into, and that makes the scares so much more powerful. The best part about the game is that there is no heads up display. Your hit points are displayed as a glowing bar on the spine of your suit. Your ammo count is displayed on the weapon itself. Cutscenes are interactive and you can move around and interact with objects instead of sitting there just watching the screen. There's nothing to disrupt your immersion into the game. Really, if you turn out all the lights and put on some headphones you can really make the game creepier than it is.
It is enhanced, for better or for worse, by the game's controls. The main character isn't fast, he isn't tough, and there are lots of buttons you have to learn relatively quickly. The third person perspective is difficult because the main character takes up so much of the screen. You really feel out of your element in the beginning until you master the controls and that adds to your unease. It all ties together beautifully, and the first couple chapters are really great.
Now to the second question, is it fun? To be honest, I didn't have that much fun at the beginning. I had problems with the slow pace at which you move and pressing the wrong button at the heat of the moment. However, the horror parts of the game which are so prevalent in the beginning start to subside and the 3rd person shooter aspects take a front seat for the second half of the game. Don't get me wrong, there are still some awesome moments interspersed through each chapter but the game doesn't try to make you jump out of your skin for 10 hours straight.
Once the game settles down a bit and you get better at controlling your character, I have to say that Dead Space is a solid action game as well as being totally creepy. The weapons at your disposal are satisfying without being too powerful, the enemies are interesting and varied, and the dismemberment mechanic means traditional "shoot 'em in the head" tactics do not work which keeps the game fresh. The game clocks in at about 10-12 hours and then you can play a new game+ with all of your equipment. This gives you the chance to play with more inventory space, more weapons, and actually have fun instead of worrying about ammo conservation and where the next scare is coming from. All in all I have to say that it's successful both as a survival horror game and as a 3rd person shooter.
What new and innovative ideas are implemented in this game?
There are two very interesting environments to play in during Dead Space. First is moving around and fighting in the vacuum of space. The game does a really great job here because the only sound is your own breathing and the dull thump of your gravity boots against the hull. Enemies can sneak up on you and it's absolutely terrifying. You also have to worry about running out of air so there is a general feeling of pressure to get back to the airlock. The sound from your weapons is muted which replaces the visceral thrill of combat and makes it a unique experience.
The other environment is zero gravity. Sometimes these are also vacuums, but sometimes they are not. In Zero-G you can aim for a spot in the distance and jump to it, then set your boots against the hull and that's the new floor. So you can walk around on the ceiling or the walls, and so can your enemies. Zero-G areas are some of the coolest places both to navigate and to fight in, and it's been confirmed that this aspect of the game will be expanded upon in the sequel.
What could this game have done better?
As mentioned before, I feel like the controls are rather poor. In some ways this is a crutch which makes the game scarier than it should be, but once the scares wear off you still have bad controls.
The only immersion killer in the game are the mini games. Yes, for some reason Dead Space has mini games and they are not all optional. The asteroid sections in chapter 4 and 8 frankly suck, and I couldn't get past them fast enough. The shooting gallery and Zero-G basketball games were decidedly better, but again they really pull you out of the feeling that you're on a derelict ship crawling with monsters.
Without giving out any spoilers I can say that the story is entertaining, but tragically derivative. I'm not saying every game needs to reinvent the wheel, but basically the plot consists of putting several games including Doom 3 and Halo into a blender and slapping a thin coat of paint on the front. There's nothing revolutionary here which is too bad considering what a great job the game does on the other fronts such as the art direction and the lighting, etc.
The biggest problem with the game is that the music changes drastically when there are enemies nearby. This is a dead giveaway that you need to be prepared for combat, and for the most part if the music is calm you can settle down. Additionally some of the enemies play dead after you shoot them but you always tell if they're really dead by seeing if they dropped any loot. These types of things really cheapen the thrill of ambush combat that the game is going for.
Finally, the replayability is somewhat hindered by the fact that all of the monster locations and spooky events are scripted, so there are no surprises on your second playthrough. It's still fun from an action perspective but a lot of people will just play the game once all the way through and then put it on the shelf.
Should I buy this game?
Dead Space isn't a long game, but the survival horror genre is all about intensity; and Dead Space is truly intense. It's one of those games that is best played with a friend who has played it before so he can tell you in a general sense where to go and what to do, how to get around the puzzle sections, but not where any of the enemies are or when the scary stuff is coming.
As far as price, I'm always wary of purchasing a game with 10-12 hours of content for $60. However, with Dead Space 2 coming out in 2010 now would be a great time to pick this title up for $20 or so. It is definitely a great game to play on those rainy weekends with the lights out.
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